In Passing
by WolfOfTheLegion
Summary: For it is In Passing we reach immortality. A chant passed down by Hunters for thousands of years. A prayer used to ward off the Darkness, who would return us to the Dust. These are the stories of peoples Souls, and of journeys started.
1. Falling Snow

A/N

 _Hello all, I am WolfOfTheLegion and this is my first chapter in my first story._

 _I've never published anything before in my life and quite frankly the prospect is downright terrifying. So if you can find a few seconds to review (and please do) please be gentle._

 _Alas, onto the story._

 _In Passing is a series of one shots that describe the moments in which different characters unlock their Auras. The manifestations of their souls. Our first chapter takes a look at the Heiress with a heart of Ice. Weiss Schnee._

 _Sorry about the short length of the chapter. But i'm still trying to get a handle on my style and I've always believed in quality over quantity. I have a few planned which show my unique twists on the RWBY universe. I'm treating canon as more guidelines instead of rules. Using this story to experiment with what works and what doesn't._

 _And for you shippers. This chapter has got some WhiteRose._

 _Thank you so much for even reading_ _ **this**_ _far, and enjoy._

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The screaming warble of a Scroll alarm shattered the peaceful calm of Weiss's room. She reached over to silence the infernal contraption. Pawing lazily at the screen while trying to brush her ivory hair out of her face.

Reluctantly throwing the covers aside she climbed out of her four poster bed and trudged to the shower. After completing her morning ablutions and dressing in the clothes she had designed herself she stood at a loss of what to do.

Weiss was finding that a recurring theme lately. With no real friends and a less than warm relationship with the rest of her family she was left to pursue her own hobbies.

It wasn't a problem on weekdays. She had her studies to keep her occupied but with all her work done in advance she was at a loss of what to do with herself.

Saturday's were the worst. People her age were supposed to worship the weekend. Instead she faced two days of idle boredom.

Weiss hated it. Hated it so much.

Sighing she reached for the door handle only to hear a gentle knock on the door. Straightening her dress Weiss opened the door.

"Winter. What a pleasant surprise." she said politely.

Winter smiled at her sister. "Good morning Weiss. May I come in?"

"Of course" Weiss said, ushering her inside.

They sat at Weiss's table. Unbidden servants arrived with tea. Weiss contemplated why Winter would be here. Has there been another White Fang attack?

Had those filthy Faunis taken another person from her?

"Weiss…" Winter began. She seemed to be deciding how to broach a delicate subject.

Weiss's heart began to thump wildly. Winter was rarely uncertain.

"What do you want to do with your life?" She asked finally.

Weiss was taken aback. Winter knew perfectly well what was in store for the young heiress. She would grow up to take control of the company. Marry a suitable husband and produce an heir. It had been mapped out for her from birth.

"You know what I want doesn't matter." She said angrily.

Winter simply rose an eyebrow. "Do you think what I wanted mattered before I decided to become a specialist. To break free from the control of our father? A Schnee takes what is theirs. What they desire. So I ask you again Weiss. What do you want?"

Weiss opened her mouth to say she wanted to be the heiress. To say she wanted the life that had been chosen for her.

But the words wouldn't form. She couldn't say them as a traitorous voice in the back of her mind screamed to be heard.

She went to finally say it. To seal her fate as the heiress of the SDC.

Her eyes caught herself in the mirror.

 _Who am I?_

"I want to be a Huntress" she blurted out.

Winter simply smiled as she remembered her own beginning to her forbidden dream. Except she had no one to help her along.

Weiss reeled from her own declaration. In her heart a small ember was burning. Fighting to melt the ice around it and break free to realise her dreams.

"I train in secret." She admitted to Winter. It was a secret only a few servants knew. "I've been training every spare day I have since I was old enough to know what a Huntress is. What it means to be one."

It felt so good to pour her heart out. To give voice to her forbidden fantasy.

"I'll need to see what you can do first. Follow me." without another word Winter swept herself from the room. Weiss followed behind eagerly.

They arrived in a room Weiss wasn't familiar with. It was a wide open space with various obstacles and training implements on racks in the corner.

They took positions across from each other. Practise swords in hand. A cutlass for the older sister and rapier for the younger.

 _Slow your breathing. Back straight. Right foot forward._

Without warning or ceremony Winter came at her with a flurry of strikes. Pain blossomed on her arms as Weiss failed to block all but two of the strikes.

Winter withdrew and seemed to contemplate. "Sufficient" she remarked.

Weiss felt her anger rise. She didn't want to be _sufficient_ she wanted to be _perfect_.

Bracing her sword in front of her she shot forward as fast as her legs could carry her.

It wasn't enough to match a trained Huntress. Winter seemed to blur as she shot to the side as planted two quick touches on her legs, causing the Heiress to stumble forward. Capitalizing on her loss of balance the older Schnee planted multiple merciless strikes on her younger sister.

Weiss shot to her feet. Clutching a particularly painful bruise on her shoulder.

"I've seen enough." Winter said.

Weiss's heart sank. Had she disappointed Winter? Did she have what it takes to be a Huntress?

"Tell me dear sister. What do you know of Aura?"

Put on the back foot by her question Weiss racked her brain for its knowledge on Aura. And came up very blank.

"I know all Hunters have it. It hasn't been part of my studies though. Father's doing I suspect."

Winter huffed and gestured to a small sitting area off to the side. They both sat and Winter began to explain.

"Aura is the manifestation of our souls. A person who has it unlocked can project their Aura outwards as a force. To deflect even the harshest of injury. If you tried to punch me. You'd break your hand. Our weapons are conduits for our Aura. Extensions of our souls. Our Aura also fuels our semblances. Unique powers that further serve to express our personalities and aid us in combat." Winter smiled fondly. "We are a violent species. But I did once know a man who's semblance was that he could tell when it was about to rain." She waved her arm dismissively "But I digress. Weiss. If you are absolutely sure you want to be a Huntress I will unlock your Aura."

Weiss considered for a few moments. Lightly tapping her nails against the table, a nervous tick of hers. "Does it hurt?" She asked.

"Not at all. For the unlocker there is a lot of exertion required. So do not be alarmed if I stumble slightly. But for the person who's Aura is being unlocked the experience is actually quite the rush."

Weiss nodded assuredly to herself. She had chosen her path. She had chosen to rebel against her father's control. At least as much as she could. Would he let her go to Vale knowing that Atlas had already robbed him of one heiress to the company?

Racked with anxiety she steeled herself. First thing was first. Her Aura.

"Do it" she said.

Winter laid her hand against her shoulder. "Close your eyes" she instructed.

"For it is our minds and spirits that hold our true selves. Here we are infinite in depth, and unbound by limits of the flesh. Though your body may pass, you will live on in the hearts and minds of others. I release your soul, but in my memory I hold you forever"

It started in her chest. Right over her heart. She felt the most incredible rush of power as she felt the ember that was her soul sprout into a raging flame. The feeling spread throughout her until all of her senses were on fire. For a moment she got a glimpse of a mirror with cracks just underneath the surface, all filed with ice.

Cyan light exploded out of them and the room was bathed in the light of Weiss's soul.

But just as fast as it appeared. It was gone. Winter stumbled slightly as she removed her arm from her sister. Weiss maintained her balance with grace. Her senses felt heightened. She felt powerful.

"Thank you Winter. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Winter smiled sadly, a strange expression for her sister before she looked wistfully out of the window onto the mountainscape. "I do. While our journeys may be different. We both share the same goal." She turned and looked Weiss in the eye. "Freedom."

Just at that moment a servant came bursting through the door.

"Mistress's Schnee. Are you alright?"

Slamming her Ice Queen Persona into place she nodded curtly.

"Everything is fine. You may return to your duties."

The man she didn't know by name bowed and the door closed with a soft click.

Weiss couldn't help but let out a small indulgent mental squeal of delight.

She was going to be a Huntress!

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Weiss found herself reflecting on that fateful day four years earlier. The journey she had made. The familiar grip of Myrtenaster spoke of that to her. About her journey as a warrior. Pouring her heart and soul into making her perfect weapon. How she had made it to Beacon two years earlier and met her team.

She pulled the red cloak of her partner tighter around her as she sat looking up at the shattered moon. She loved her team. Even if she didn't always show it. From the Ninja Faunus who she was raised to hate. But only felt a strange kinship with. To the Buxom Brawler whose protectiveness of anyone she had come to care about melted some of the ice around her heart.

Then there was her partner, and her girlfriend. The Red Reaper. The naive, sugar addicted Dolt. Ruby Rose was the best thing to ever happen to her and she was determined to keep hold of her no matter what. Through crazy White Fang attacks and strangely stylish criminals. She'd come to far to lose what had shattered the moniker of Ice Queen.

Weiss sighed in contentment, and watched the falling snow.


	2. Rising Flames

**A/N**

 _In this chapter we look at the start of the journey of Cinder Fall._

 _Now in this chapter we stray waaaaay far from canon. Since Cinders backstory hasn't been explained to my knowledge. I'm going to be making up my own. I hope you enjoy what i'm hoping will be a unique take on Cinder. Hopefully this chapter will be a bit longer but i've decided to start writing these just as college is entering its busiest period. So updates may be slow until summer holidays get going fully. Anyways, on with the chapter._

 _An ember can only be crushed down for so long._

 _Being under cruelty breeds a strange kind of courage._

 _It's only a matter of time._

 _Until something breaks._

 _And that ember turns into a Rising Flame._

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Cinder liked to burn things.

She loved to watch the flame slowly crawl up the scraps of paper she managed to find to set fire to in trash bins around the mansion. She adored how the white would fade to black and turn into embers and ash that drifted to the floor. She got chills staring into the flames as they burned hot and consumed the paper. She loved to ignore the screams of pain her hands gave her as the fire singed the tips of her fingers.

She sighed when it had all burned to ash. As it always did.

But it made her feel powerful. It was a feeling she craved. Her secret addiction.

She wanted to feel this powerful all the time. She wanted to command respect and fear. Just like her bastard of a father did. As much as she hated the man. She could admire his talents for manipulation. He walked into a room and people _feared_ him.

One day she would be like that.

"What are you doing?" came the sharp voice of her jailer. Cinders nanny.

Gods how she hated the woman. Ratty gray hair and hooked nose. It was wonder father put up with her presence. Not that he was ever there.

"Nothing Agness." She said. She played the hem of her dress idly as she spoke. It never ended well to show defiance. Nothing to be gained.

She expected the blow. It still hurt when it struck her temple. The sharp slap of the old bats palm hitting her alabaster skin sent a cruel keening note across the room.

Cinder merely gritted her teeth. Too used to it to do anything else.

"Stupid girl. Why aren't you doing anything useful? No matter. Off with you now." Agness shooed her from the room. As she left Cinder risked a look behind her and saw her examining the bin and sniffing the air.

Shit. There was no way she wouldn't know. No way she wouldn't find out.

Cinder didn't want her to find out. She wanted to be able to burn things in peace. It was the one solitude she was going to get from this life that had been preordained for her. The one refuge she would allow herself as she killed whatever trophy husband her father married her off too and worked her way up until she had enough power to live how she wanted.

She didn't even look where she was going as she wandered the house plotting.

The nanny would have to go. She had done it before. Father had wanted her to be able to defend herself. As much of a bastard that he was he did care for her, in some twisted way.

But how would she do it? She had resolved to do it before. Years ago when she first arrived and proved to actually have some backbone.

She had relented because she was useful. Because it was better to have the enemy you know than the one you don't. Agness could be controlled in a way. Manipulated into ignoring some of Cinders more unsightly tendencies in return for her reluctant obedience.

Cinder sighed as she sauntered through the halls. This would require some planning. But she didn't have much time until father was informed of her little vice.

And he couldn't know. She shuddered with the thought of what he'd do. It would not be pleasant.

Changing course to the library she resolved to do some research. She'd come across an interesting passage she wanted to study more into. One that might help her get rid of her nanny problem.

A passage on Aura.

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She stared transfixed at the candle flame. Hot wax dripped down the sides and pooled at the bottom. She resisted the urge to run her finger along the length to feel it's heat. It was utterly beautiful. Burning brightly in the pitch black room. Destroying the darkness with its power and ushering in the light.

Tearing herself away from it she refocused on the passage before her. After searching for what seemed like a lifetime she had finally locate a dusty old tome in her father's grand library on the subject that had caught her interest so much.

According to the book. Aura was the manifestation of the Soul. It protected the person with an invisible barrier that deflected all harm until it's reserves were depleted. Hunters and Huntresses used it to fight the Grimm. Using unique powers called Sembalences.

It's this part that had interested Cinder. As it had a sketched picture of a Hunter controlling fire to immolate a Beowolf.

She imagined what it would be like if she had such power. If she could burn down all her problems and stand as Queen of the Ashes.

The thought appealed to her, so she read on.

To unlock her Aura she would either need to force it open herself. Which was apparently only done in rare cases. Or have it unlocked by somebody with Aura. Someone would say some words. It had the traditional chants of all four Kingdoms inscribed on the page. Or you would use a chant that meant something to you. About what it meant to be a Huntress or Hunter.

Cinder selected the Minstallian chant and began to recite it.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

Nothing happened. She didn't feel any different. With a slight grunt of frustration she closed the book and pondered it's words. She had felt _something_ when she'd said the words. But it was like trying to force the wrong key into a lock.

Resolving to make some more progress she reopened the tome and read on.

She was rewarded with a particularly interesting section on Dust. According to the book. It could be weaved into clothes. But required Aura to activate. She daydreamed for a few moments about what it would be like to have fire dust weaved into a dress. How she would burn anyone that got in her way.

Sighing again she slammed the book closed with abit more force. She needed her Aura unlocked and soon. But she couldn't get anyone to do it.

No matter. She would have to force it open. She would have to do it soon. Before her father had a chance to speak to Agness.

Passing her hand over the flame she extinguished it and went to bed.

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Time passed. As it tended to.

Cinder tried out a few combinations of the unlocking chant. None of them worked.

As her frustrations were reaching a thunderous crescendo. Her father returned to the estate.

He was not happy. He never was but somehow even Cinder could feel that his displeasure was more than it usually was. Fear gripped Cinders heart and her stomach flipped. Sixteen and athletic with some stolen Huntress training under her belt her father in a rage still sent shivers down her spine. He was no Hunter, far from it. But his status as a wealthy businessman meant he had a vested interest in his own defense.

She had felt the bite of the cane he carried. Felt it's sting against her cheek. Just thinking about it made her want to slink off and set something on fire.

But she couldn't. Not yet. Father had requested her at dinner and there was no reason for her not to go. So she had put on her best dress. A long flowing red contraption that highlighted all of her curves.

He had greeted her cordially enough. The atmosphere in the room wasn't loving at all. It couldn't be.

Not since Cinder had killed the love of his life.

Cinders mother had died in childbirth. But instead of devoting all of his love and affection into the child that his love had died to give birth too. He hated her and had said as much in more than one drunken tirade.

"How are your studies progressing?" he asked pre functionally. She knew he only cared in passing. Only cared enough so he could marry her off and be done with her.

"They are progressing admirably. I have recently become interested in the subject of Aura." She phrased the statement in such a way as he had to ask more. That was her plan.

"Aura? And why ever would you need to know about that. Do you intend to become a Huntress? Die some thankless death in some shithole village breathing your last as a Beowolf chews on your insides?" He laughed as he finished.

"I thought it might be a respectable career Father. But I was more interested in the workings of Aura. How one might unlock it and why everyone doesn't do it if it's so good?" She knew she was straying into dangerous territory. But she had to know if he knew a way to do it. What she was trying wasn't working.

"I know some things. I have mine unlocked. It isn't hard to do." She gasped slightly. Why hadn't she ever noticed?

"And if you truly wish to become a Huntress. Well I wouldn't personally do it but I have a lot of respect for the profession. As much as they irk me sometimes the Hunters keep out the Grimm. And the Grimm are bad for business."

"Do it. I want to be a Huntress." she lied. She didn't give a damn about saving people from Grimm. She just wanted to be powerful. To Make sure no one could ever hurt her again.

He stood up and motioned for her to stand before him. Gently resting his hand on her shoulder he began to recite a chant she had not heard the likes of in her books. It echoed with her somewhat and at his words she felt something in her stir.

"It is through our power that we can achieve dominance. We are infinite in will and unbound by limits of the flesh. Though you may pass from this world, know that in my heart, I hold you forever."

Cinder felt power like she had never felt before. Orange light raged through the room as she gasped in delight. Her father slumped over slightly. His Aura weakened from unlocking hers.

It was the perfect time to strike.

Without knowing what she was doing she called upon the fire in the room. Candles flared and curtains were set on fire as she basked in her new found power. Her sembalence she realised. How had she found it so quickly?

No matter. She would rid herself of her captor first.

"Cinder. What the fuck are you doing!" he growled angrily. She drew back a fist and cracked it into his nose. Crimson blood fountained out of it and some fell into the hissing flames. By now the whole room was on fire. She grinned. His Aura was so pathetic that unlocking hers had left him defenseless.

Agness came running through the door. With a few panicked servants.

Cinder merely raised her arm and let forth the flames. It was more instinct than any skill but the screams and smell of roasting flesh was enough to satisfy her. They were dead before they hit the floor.

She turned her attention back to her father. He was looking at her with a puzzling expresion.

Was it, pride?

"I hate you." she said to him. "For everything you've done to me. I'm going to kill you."

He merely smiled up at her. "I knew this would happen one day. Go my daughter. Go and make your mark on the world." Cinder roared and bought her hand down on his face. He screamed as she heated her palm and melted through his face. How dare he smile at her after everything she'd had to endure. An alcoholic and unloving father had not made for a happy childhood.

She did not even realise the room was on fire anymore. Her father had gone silent a few moments ago so she withdrew her hand from his melting face. He had burnt to ashes.

It was covered in blood and brain matter but she wasn't burnt.

She began to panic. Was she immune to fire? Would she survive if she stayed here?

Roof beams began to collapse as more of the house caught on fire. It was becoming hard to see past the haze.

She made her way to the nearest door. Servants were furiously trying to break it down. Had it become stuck?

They were in her way. All of it was in her way. So she raised her arms and let loose a barrage of flames. There wasn't so much a door as there was a hole in the wall. As for the corpses, she paid them no mind.

Slightly detached from reality she began to walk. She was free.

Finally free.

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The tower burned.

A dragon roared in the distance as beacon burned. As everything burned. Just as she had planned it for so long.

In front of her kneeled a broken and defeated Pyrrha Nikos. The Invincible Girl.

The power was hers for the taking. She watched the girl choke on her own blood as the arrow in her chest killed her. As she died and gave Cinder the other half of what was rightfully hers.

Of what Salem had promised her.

The question haunted her slightly. Did she believe in Destiny? Yes she did. The one that she had carved out for herself.

She sauntered over to the broken girl casually, and grabbed her crown.

With a surge of her semblance. The Invincible Girl burned to ashes.

Cinder felt a rush of power. Like two things becoming whole inside of her as her Aura stretched to accommodate all of this new power. Of the full power of the Fall Maiden.

She smirked in satisfaction as she watched the Rising Flames.

"PYRRHA NO!"

Wait wha-

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 _Well, that was a thing._

 _So that was the rise of Cinder Fall. I hope you all enjoyed it. Couldn't resist putting Fire after Ice. Thanks to Just another Nobody of Nowhere for the review. I will continue to make the chants as unique as I can._

 _As to updates. I'm going to try for loosely at least one each week. I have about 6 or 7 ideas on more characters to do. If you want to see my take on a character's origin, please leave a review saying your idea._

 _These authors notes at the bottom are gonna be stuff not really related to the story. Not like the brief description at the top. So if you don't like that kind of thing feel free to just give them a miss._

 _Anyways. Thanks so much for reading. Don't forget to leave a review or a favorite if you wanna see more._


	3. Two Souls

**A/N**

 _Hello again all._

 _Today we look at Oscar Pine and the start of his journey towards becoming a Huntsman. Not the normal route like he thought. He never asked to be host to a ten thousand year old Wizard._

 _As always we play around with canon abit. Nothing in this fic is written to match up exactly with the main RWBY story so don't be surprised if something doesn't quite fit. Or outright contradicts what we've seen._

 _More story related stuff in the bottom notes. For now, on with the story._

 _Voices in your head._

 _Tears running down your face._

 _Do you have what it takes to change your Fate?_

 _To rage against all you've ever known?_

 _You don't know._

 _And with those thoughts, come the Grimm._

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Oscar was asleep when it happened.

Burning like he'd never known before in his life woke him up. He felt like he was burning alive. But deep down he knew it wasn't him. Not him that was on fire.

There had been a woman. Hadn't there?

Yellow eyes and raven hair. Flashes of fire in a dark room. He had fought her.

He had lost. He had died.

Oscar didn't even consider that he was insane. Those thoughts would come with the morning. He just dwelled on the fact that he had just died. Yet how could that be? He was here. In his bed on the farm.

"Oscar." he heard a voice in his head say. A voice that was not his own. It seemed like it would ring out again. But it fell silent. Like it was sleeping.

How could a voice in his head be sleeping?

He felt a panic deep within himself. A deep feeling of dread. It burned through him like fire, like her fire but colder. He tried to push it down. He had to be more positive out here. Panicking just bought down the Grimm.

His thoughts flashed unbidden to long ago. A cold winter's night. His mother's voice in his ear as they rocked back and forth.

He had been crying. He couldn't even remember the reason but before he knew it black shapes were scratching at the walls. Drawn by his negativity they had found their small town home. His father had tried to take out the Beowolves with a loggers axe.

He had died screaming on the floor. His insides still hanging from a white claw.

An untrained civilian had could take out one Beowolf with luck. But not the three that assaulted their home.

His mother had opened the back door and told him to run to his aunties house. To run as fast as he could and not come back.

He had cried and begged for her to come with him but she just squeezed his shoulder like nothing was wrong.

The last time he saw his mother she was turning around to distract the Grimm.

He had run to his aunties. The next morning the town watch had been alerted and that was that. He'd been on the farm ever since. Just a stupid orphan who had killed his parents by crying over something childish.

He hated the Grimm. He wanted to be a Huntsman. He wanted to make sure no one ever had to watch as their mother turned round to face their death.

A dull sense of amusement came from a place within his mind. The place where he could feel a presence that wasn't his own. It felt like it couldn't speak again. That it was just watching.

Resolving to think on it in the morning Oscar slipped the covers over himself and tried to drift off.

Sleep did not come easily to him that night.

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He still felt wrong come the morning.

"Good morning" said a voice in his head. He shot to his feet and grabbed the shortsword he kept beside his bed. Small, battered, cheap and worn with years of practise it was fit for little else than making the wieldier feel safe. "Who's there?" he called out into his room.

The voice in his head sighed. "Oscar you won't find me in the room. I am part of you now."

Oscar scanned the room wearily. Nothing was out of place. "Who are you?" he said into the air.

"Professor Ozpin. Former Headmaster of Beacon Academy. A pleasure to meet you Oscar Pine."

Oscar had a small mental breakdown. Recovered. Had another one and contemplated bashing his head against the wall or if he had eaten anything to make him hallucinate.

"I assure you Mr Pine. You are perfectly sane. I shall explain if you will let me."

He shook his head violently and sheathed the small blade on his back.

"You aren't real." He said. "You are just a figment of my imagination. Why is this happening to me now? Am I relapsing?" the doctor he was forced to see for counselling had said he might suffer some issues from watching his family die. It was a common problem on Remnant.

"I said you were sane Oscar. I never said you were normal." Said Ozpin.

"Stop reading my thoughts!" he screamed into the empty room.

"Technically if you'd let me explain. They are our thoughts."

Oscar sat down on the bed with his head in his hands. "Explain." he got out through gritted teeth. He would hear the voice out. Then he would check himself into the nearest mental asylum.

"What's your favorite fairytale?" Ozpin asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be explaining? Not asking questions." Oscar said.

He could feel a small hint of amusement come from the presence within himself.

"Very well. I shall dispense with the usual cloak and dagger explanation. I am a ten thousand year old wizard who granted magical power to four Maidens after they helped me long ago. I am locked in a struggle for the very survival of our species with an entity that calls herself Salem, Queen of the Grimm. I cannot die in the traditional sense. When my body perishes my Aura latches onto another like minded persons and eventually we become indistinct from each other. At the moment as you do not have your Aura unlocked I cannot fully bond with you and lend you use of my diminished, yet still considerable power. Last night beacon Academy was attacked by one of Salem's agents. A women called Cinder Fall. Who I'm sure has killed the student I implanted half of the Fall Maidens powers within and has become the full Fall Maiden herself. I was killed trying to stop her from destroying Beacon. I failed. Again. So while you are having a mental breakdown Oscar I can assure you that I am quite real. And that if we do not leave for Haven Academy soon. More will die.

You did not ask for this Oscar. But this duty has been thrust upon you. Will you run from it? Or will you help me stop Salem. I am so close Oscar. Closer than I've ever been before. Will you help me?"

Oscar put his head in his hands and reeled from what he'd just been told. He knew his life would never be the same. Knew it with a cold certainty that he couldn't run from this if he wanted too.

It scared him. He was more terrified than he'd been in his entire life. Negativity washed through him as he raged against it internally.

"I need to think about this." He said aloud. Deciding the voice was real. That he wasn't insane. No one had that good of an imagination.

"Could you do one thing for me Oscar?"

"What."

"Could you find the nearest cup of Coffee." Ozpin said with the voice of a man away from a drug too long."And inhale it."

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Oscar found himself on a walk. He'd taken his sword but had to strapped it to his back. The cup of coffee in his hand kept him warm in the chilly morning air.

He sipped it while deep in thought. Not knowing that all he needed was a cane and he would look exactly like the former headmaster.

"Mistral is truly beautiful" Ozpin commented. "Even after all these years it still takes my breath away."

Oscar merely kept walking. He'd seen these trees a thousand times. Growing up in a place made you blind to its beauty after awhile. To him this was just the farm.

"I know what you're going through Oscar. But I really must impress on your the time constraints. If we do not get to Haven soon. It could spell disaster for all of Remnant."

He ignored him. Taking another sip of coffee he sat down in his favorite spot. A clearing not to far from the farm.

"You know I always wanted to be a Hunter." He said. "But there was always something more to do on the farm. Some problem with the animals that meant I had to stay another season while everyone else went off to combat school. Now I have the voice of a dead man in my head telling me to go to Haven. It shouldn't even be an issue for me. But I find myself not wanting to go. Not wanted to abandon what's become familiar for me. Do I even have the conviction to do this? Do I have what it takes to be a Huntsman?"

He shuffled some leaves around with his boot. Sipping more coffee he sighed and lifted his head.

"Oscar…"

"Shut up" He said.

"Oscar I can sen-"

"I said shut up!" He screamed. "You ask me to uproot my life and walk halfway across the continent and you can't even give me time to think about it!"

A low growl from the treeline alerted him. Oscar dropped the coffee and an icy fear gripped him.

Red eyes met green.

"Oh." was all he could say before it leapt from the treeline and ran towards him. Oscar tore his swortsword from it's sheathe. He wasn't hunter trained but he had dealt with the occasional Beowolf before.

It was on him in moments but he had dodged out of the way. Bringing his sword down with all his strength he scored a glancing cut across it's arm.

It only served to piss it off.

Sharp claws flashed out and teeth snapped as the Beowolf tried to go for Oscars throat. He tried to bring the weapon up in a move that felt practised and smooth to him but the sword wasn't long enough. He had a brief picture of a cane in his hands before his vision flickered and he dived out of the way of the Beowolves snapping jaws.

Time was not on his side. Beowolves traveled in packs and more would be there shortly. He had to kill the Grimm quickly.

He went on the offensive. Rushing in past the flashing claws he ducked down and launched himself like a spring. With a wet squelch his sword sank into the Beowolves throat. With its death throes the blade snapped off inside it. Throwing Oscar across the clearing.

"Not bad Oscar. Although I suspect Glynda would have thrown you out of Beacon for a sorry display like that."

"Who?" He asked as he panted on the floor.

He received a brief mental image of a stern blonde woman who he somehow knew taught combat at Beacon.

Oscar forced himself to rise. Staring at the shattered hilt of his weapon he discarded it. Instead he picked up a nearby branch. Testing it's weight with a few swings he was satisfied with it.

"Oh dear." Ozpin said from within his head. "Oscar I think your time to decide is up."

Oscar was about to open his mouth to ask why when he felt a sharp stinging in his abdomen. Looking down he noticed three perfect red lines across his stomach. The Beowolf had gotten him.

He began to panic. There wasn't a doctor that could help him in a hundred miles and he just knew from looking his wounds were fatal if left untreated.

"What do we do?" He said, clutching his stomach in pain. The adrenaline had worn off.

"Well I can unlock your Aura. You will heal and be fine but be a beacon for the Grimm. You will have to leave and go to Haven. Or you can die out here in these woods. Bleeding to death is not a good way to go, I should know."

Oscar whined and bought his free hand to his temple. The pain was intense and he could feel the blood flowing from him onto the ground. He could feel himself getting weaker.

He could also hear more Grimm. But that was the least of his problems at the moment.

"Will it be hard?" He asked.

"I won't lie to you Oscar. It will be the hardest thing you've ever had to do. But it just might make the world a brighter place."

He gritted his teeth. "Do it."

He felt the voice in his head concentrate and begin to speak.

"For it is in failure that we reach immortality. Through this we are bound to our task. An endless trek through the night without pause or rest. Cursed by the gods and bound by duty I release your Soul, and by my hand, condemn thee."

Green light flooded the clearing like an emerald wave. The light of Oscars Soul washed through the trees and made the Grimm flinch.

Power burned through his entire body. The cuts on his stomach knitted together with flutter of green and were smooth once more. He felt the presence within his soul shift like it was becoming one with himself. He felt thousands of years of knowledge and skill pour into him. Thousands of years of memories seared into his brain.

He fell to his knees in agony clutching his head. Two people were never meant to inhabit the same body and he could feel Ozpin's Aura trying to meld with his own.

Two voices screamed and became one as the green light faded.

"Oscar?" He heard Ozpin say. He sounded more solid. More like a part of himself than an invader.

"Im here." He managed. Struggling to his feet again. "That was intense."

"Indeed it was. But focus now my friend, for the Grimm will not wait."

He realised with a start that two Beowolves and an Ursa had wandered into the clearing. Weary of him for some reason.

And he was armed with a stick.

But for some reason he felt confidant. Powerful even. He felt like he could slay the Grimm with his bare hands if he needed too.

They roared at him. He roared back.

With a blur of motion he cracked the stick over the first Beowolves skull. He reinforced it with his Aura so it didn't break. He suspected Ozpin's influence in his newfound combat skills but who could complain about being able to kill Grimm with a stick? The Beowolves skull cracked and it's brains splattered all over Oscar. He was already moving onto the second Beowolf. His body twisted and curled as claws bounced off of his Aura. Crap they were strong!

The second Beowolf died via stick in the eye. Pulling it free with a pop and barely avoiding a clumsy swipe from the Ursa Oscar infused his legs with Aura and jumped higher than he ever had in his life.

Seeing the Ursa roar it's displeasure he felt a dim flickering of fear in the back of his mind. He squashed it down. He was a Huntsman. He need not fear the Grimm.

Like a falling comet he struck the Ursa with all the force he could muster. It's skull cracked open like a rotten egg. Leaving nothing but slowly fading remains.

Suddenly he felt tired. Like he'd just run a marathon. One soul became two inside of himself and he felt his body became slacker, less sure of itself.

"What now." He said to the open air.

"Now Oscar. To Haven."

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Oscar was nervous.

It was an understatement really. So far he hadn't actually mentioned to anyone that he had a voice in his head. That kind of thing tended to land you in an insane asylum. He had made it to the city finally. Ozpin had directed him to the crappiest bar in the city.

"Why are we here again?" He asked in his thoughts.

"To find a dusty old crow." Was the reply.

Oscar bit back the desire to tell Ozpin to stop speaking in riddles and stepped into the bar.

The first thing he noticed was that the bar was empty. Literally only one person was in the bar and he was hunched over a drink. Oscar couldn't even see the barkeep.

"Ask him for my cane back." Said Ozpin.

Oscar strode up to the man at the bar.

"Excuse me?" he stammered out.

The man turned around. Drink in hand he regarded him with slight annoyance at interrupting his drinking.

"Aren't you alittle young to be in here kid?" The man said.

"Oscar. The cane." Ozpin was unusually insistent.

"Yes im asking him." Oscar said before he winced slightly. Great. Now he thinks i'm insane.

"I'm supposed to ask you for my cane back."

The man's eyes widened slightly before he chuckled. Moving his hand to his waist he removed the hilt of a familiar cane. Well. Not familiar to Oscar.

On reflex he caught the cane and felt it expand in his hand. He felt safer with it in his hands.

"Good to see ya again Oz." The man said. Oscar smiled up at him. He believed him! Finally a responsible adult to help him with the voice of a dead headmaster in his head.

"Let's get a drink to celebrate."

Both he and Ozpin sighed in unison.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

After dragging Qrow back to the address he managed to wrestle from him before he passed out Oscar was just about ready to murder his newfound friend. He had tasted the drink Qrow had offered him and quickly decided whiskey was not for him.

Upon opening the door and watching Qrow stumble in to declare that he'd been found. Something that clearly bewildered the assortment of Hunters and Huntresses Oscar decided to step into the room. A girl wearing a red cloak asked who he was and before he could open his mouth Ozpin spoke. "Say she has silver eyes. It's important to my spooky wizard act."

All too used to obeying Ozpin's strange orders at this point Oscar stepped forward and looked deep into the silvery pools that had addressed him.

"You have...silver eyes." He said.

"Nailed it." Ozpin commented.

"I fucking hate you sometimes." He said back mentally.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

 _Completely serious and necessary additions at the end there. Haven't been binge watching the What x REALLY thinks series or anything. (If you haven't seen it go check it out. It's basically RWBY abridged.)_

 _Ahem. Anyways. I know I said weekly updates but these are super easy to write and I can just sit down and get one done in one session so this fic will update pretty much when i feel like it but definitely once every week._

 _Next chapter is undecided on the person but thanks to Dragondeathdrop for both the kind words and the suggestions. I've added them to the planning document._

 _As always please review if you can. Literally write down anything vaguely related to the fic. It takes two seconds and lets me know people are reading and enjoying._

 _Seeya next chapter._


	4. Hello World

_In this week's chapter of In Passing we look at the activation of one Penny Polendina and how General Ironwood hoped to remove men from the battlefield against the Grimm._

 _As always this is pretty AU. I make no apologies. Well. Except the one at the bottom._

 _A heart of steel._

 _An artificial body._

 _Is she a puppet or a person?_

 _What does it mean to bear the light of your Soul?_

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James Ironwood sighed and rubbed his temples as he finished yet another condolence letter. He reached into his desk and took out a bottle of pills before shaking his head and putting them back. He was spent for the night. The clock read well past 3 in the morning and he had to be up soon for yet another day of work.

He rubbed his right shoulder and felt where the metal of his augmented arm meet scarred flesh. Ten years he'd been dealing with the augments. Yet they still stung like a bitch.

Images of the day flashed into his mind unbidden. Just a lowly Lieutenant on a patrol struck down by a Beowolf. Half of his right side a torn and bloody mess. He didn't have Aura until the lone hunter on the team unlocked it to keep him alive. He remembered struggling on the floor drifting in and out of consciousness as his first patrol team was ripped apart.

It took him a year to get back on duty and another year to get onto a mission that wasn't a dead end for his career. Only him and the Hunter had come back from that patrol and he would not dishonor their sacrifice by wasting his life.

He stood up purposefully and strode from the room. Catching the eyes of Winter Schnee she rose swiftly to follow him. It was time to check up on Doctor Polendina and his project.

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Ironwood walked in on a very clearly frustrated Dr Polendina. He was stood next to what by all appearances was a young Huntress sat on a lab worktable. But James knew she was a highly sophisticated android. Commissioned by him some years ago to help realize his dream of taking soldiers off of the battlefield. Atlas's AI drones where good and competent. But they had a central point of failure and as a military man James had that old axiom stuck in his head. If it can go wrong. It will.

Ironwood cleared his throat and the Doctor turned around. He was a squat balding man with large black rimmed glasses and a salt and pepper beard. His white lab coat had numerous coffee stains down the front and he had dark bags under his eyes.

"General. What an unexpected surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure at this late hour?" Said the Doctor, fatigue and a little hesitance evident in his voice.

"Enough of that Henry I think we've known each other long enough to not stand on formality."

The Doctor seemed to visibly brighten like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Well than James old buddy what can I do for ya? Im afraid im still not having much luck with Penny's programming. She has all of the information we can give her and her Aura generators should be working. Everything on every bloody instrument says they should be working but look." Before Ironwood could stop him Henry had hit the android with a spanner and left a small dent on the metal. "That. Shouldn't be possible. I don't know what else to do James. I'm stuck and the committee and council is so far up my ass to get results I can't focus on my work."

James but his hand on his shoulder in comfort. "I won't let them pull funding for this Henry. You've worked too hard for too long for this project not to bare fruit. You just need to keep working at it."

Henry smiled up at him and nodded in thanks.

"Why don't you try unlocking her Aura." Said Winter from behind them.

In honesty James had completely forgotten she was there. He had only asked her along because she seemed at a loss for something to do at the late hour. He was more than familiar with fighting your own demons late at night and had thought to offer her a comfort in the form of tagging along. From the way the Doctors mouth was hanging open it had been a good idea for her to tag along.

He turned to the Doctor. "Could that work?" he asked. The Doctor was still staring at Winter. Mind clearly whirring. "Doctor." He said slightly more forcefully.

He snapped out of his musings and seemed to become as excited as a kid on Christmas day. Running about attaching wires to the vacant looking android. He swore like a sailor as he berated himself for not thinking of it.

"James. I have no idea if this will work but will you do the honors? I hear you've done it a few times." he was still frantically attaching wires. Readouts flickered to life around the room.

He nodded and stepped forward. Removing the glove on his right hand. Metal gleamed in the fluorescent light of the lab. "Excellent work Specialist Schnee. If this works you'll have done Atlas a great service."

The Specialist in question seemed to light up from the praise. From what he understood it was hard to find growing up for her.

"Ready." Henry said.

James put his hand on the androids shoulder. Metal on metal. He spoke the words as they came to him. Just like how they had done so many times before.

"For it is in our spirits we hold our true selves. Here we are infinite and unbound by the limits of the flesh. Though you may pass you will live on in the hearts and minds of others. I create your Soul, and by my hand, awaken you."

Green light lit up the room and James felt his Aura strain. He felt the core of his being flex in a feeling he could only describe as like getting a Greek fire blood transfusion and after a brief bang he knew no more.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Light. Sound. Awareness.

These feelings were unfamiliar to her. _Feelings_ were unfamiliar to her. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. Passively she stretched her awareness out into Cyberspace. Comprehending her being with every passing second she devoured information around her. Linking herself to machines all around the room she could see her Aura was working at 100% efficiency. That pleased her immensely. She recalled sitting and listening to her father complaining that she didn't work. She liked working very much so far. She was enjoying herself so much by simply _being_.

She heard a low moan from the floor and directed her eyes towards it. General Ironwood was lying on the floor. Slowly rising he regarded her with some wonder. Her father was gaping at her and sputtering random syllables.

"Hello World." She said. Her voice was a little too high for her liking so she modulated it. She tried speaking again. Better. She would have to adjust it as time went on.

"Holy fuck she's tearing through firewalls like they aren't even there." Said her father from the console he was staring at.

Ironwood was on his feet. His face for once not an emotionless mask. He was smiling at her. She smiled back at him before standing off of the table she had spent her whole existence on.

"Nice to meet you Penny." General Ironwood said before sticking his hand out. Penny recognized the gesture from her data-banks and stuck out her hand to grasp it. The generals augmented hand groaned under the force of her grip.

The Doctor and Winter were giving the General strange side-wards glances. Penny's smile faded and she processed that they didn't quite consider her real yet. But Ironwood had awakened her. He had felt her become real. He had given her a _soul_.

She decided perhaps a platitude to reassure them would not go amiss.

"I am combat ready!" she said with all the enthusiasm she could muster. Which was a lot. Fighting was her purpose after all.

She would make everyone proud.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

A lot had happened since Penny had been created. The world was a wondrous place she had learned. Full of good people and marvels of humanity's will to survive.

One such marvel was Amity Colosseum. Where she was currently engaged in combat with one Pyrrha Nikos.

Her swords thrummed with power and deadly promise as she channeled her Aura into the blades. The Light of her Soul bared out in front of her ready to deflect any and all strikes.

Her father was watching. She would win.

But something was wrong. Her opponent was acting strangely. Looking above her in fear. Penny mused this to be strange somewhere in her secondary processes.

Capitalizing on her opponent's weakness she directed her weapons forward. Hoping to deal the match winning blow. Wires flexed and snapped as they dove forward. Carefully directed by her Aura.

Disarmed Pyrrha crossed her arms before her. Perhaps hoping to concentrate her Aura and weather the on coming blow. Penny grinned inwardly. She had this round in the bag.

Pyrrha's arms flew wide and a wave of darkness stopped her blades in their tracks. Before Penny could even tense her synthetic muscle the wave hit her and froze her in place. Her systems where scrambled. Her body wouldn't move. No amount of EM shielding could withstand aura enhanced magnetism. She felt the string of her own weapons wrap themselves around her. Shearing into the metal and her key systems. She could feel it as if it was in slow motion. As she was ripped apart the crowd didn't know how to react. Pyrrha was stood stock still.

She was shutting down fast. Her Aura flickering and fading. The things that kept it sustained being torn to shreds. She felt the panic keenly. She didn't want to cease to exist. She clung to that desire with a fervor. Gathering herself she spread herself further than she had dared. Into every system on the coliseum. Through signal links into Vale. She didn't have any guides on what to do. They hadn't even planned for this because no one assumed she would _die_. There was no plan in place. Just her and the desperate need to survive. To continue. To exist.

She felt it when her body died. It was like being on a ship and suddenly feeling the anchor being cut away. Her Aura had nothing to anchor too. She was just code. A Ghost in the Machine.

Yet she endured. She was still aware. Looking through cameras and feeling through sensors all around Vale. Nothing was off limits to her. If there was a firewall she tore it down. She looked for something occupy but nothing she found could hold her. She looked to the CCT. Gathering herself as much as she could she pushed herself through an uplink to Atlas. In a blind panic she scrambled for somewhere familiar. She found her awareness in her father's workshop. He was sat in a chair staring disbelievingly at a monitor. Penny could see her former body on it. People were still reacting.

Penny felt more panic. She could feel more and more of herself coming apart. Parts of her just drifting into cyberspace. She searched frantically for something to contain her.

There! In the workshop. A half built body. She devoured it's schematics and all the data about it. It was intended as an upgrade for her. Her father had been working on it for awhile.

It wasn't ready. She could see that as soon as she scanned it.

But she had learned a valuable skill from her friends back in Vale. One that would serve her well here. Hopefully.

Recklessly she shoved her awareness into the half built body.

Searing pain ran through her and she struggled to contain her being inside this new shell. Sparks flew as circuits shorted and came to grips with the powerful entity that was coming to control them. Speakers shot random bursts of machine code. Lights all over the facility flickered.

She couldn't move or speak. She feared to reach out into cyberspace lest she float away.

So she sat and waited to be discovered. It took several days for her father to find her. His grief evaporating as he realised she was alive.

After a battery of tests she could stretch out again. Expand her senses into the CCT network and get news from Vale.

Inside her core she gave the machine version of a gasp when she discovered the events that had transpired since her "death."

Pyrrha Nikos had fallen atop the CCT tower which now contained a frozen _dragon._ Beacon had undergone tremendous damage and many students were dead or injured.

Retreating deep within her core Penny replayed happier memories of her time at Beacon. She didn't even notice she hadn't turned her speaker output off and the whole lab could hear the echoes of her weeping.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

 _Another chapter done. Not the longest one I've ever done but I couldn't think of anything past what's already here._

 _Sorry for no updates. Weekly uploads is right out but i'll try and post what I've got when I've got it. I would explain more but it can be summed up in the words "Personal crap"_

 _Thanks for reading! Leave a review. It's free and feeds my desire to write more._


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